The First Step
by MLPPP217
Summary: Slain in battle maybe? Died defending a nation from evil vampire ponies? Or maybe just fell down the stairs. One pony is about to discover that afterlife was not what he thought and this will be hard for him, so it's a good thing he doesn't have to go through death alone.
1. Stuck

**Stuck**

Life was going pretty well for me. I had a good job, lots of great friends and a wonderful home and everything I could possibly want from life. But just when things were going so well it had to go all wrong.

I didn't lose my job or all my friends no instead they all lost me. I remember it quite clearly now how much fun I was having at one of the many parties that was hosted by the pink mare and full time party pony Pinkie Pie but at some point during the night it had to end and we all dispersed and said our goodbyes.

I had drunk perhaps too much punch because the trip to the outskirts of Ponyville was a blur but soon I came upon my home and almost walked passed it. Everypony in Ponyville was friends and trusted each other so there was no reason to lock doors so I simply pushed open my door and stumbled into my home, heading upstairs to my bed and cringing at the thought of work in the morning.

That was when everything went terribly wrong of course and I remember only specifically the disorientation and then the sharp but quick snap when my neck broke as I hit the bottom of the stairs and the end of my life.

Then I remember darkness but after a few minutes that passed and I got up seemingly fine and uninjured, however remembering quite clearly what had happened. I thought it was just a vivid dream and that I should probably lay off the parties for a while but as I turned to view my alarm clock I was met with a picture of me in my younger years which I knew was at the bottom of the staircase.

Although it was unnerving I supposed that maybe I had fallen but I hadn't hurt myself as badly as I'd thought and so I decided to look down to see if I had sustained any injuries. Of course that was what really made me freak out.

I was me but I was bright white with highlights of blue and although I wasn't much one for superstitions I knew what a ghost looked like and I looked exactly like one. So I shut my eyes quickly and willed myself to awaken from this nightmare like any sane pony would do but after spending an hour roughly doing this it was hopeless and I stumbled away from the staircase where I saw the final chapter of me.

It was obviously my form lying there at the bottom of the stairs. My red coat and orange mane were dead giveaways and I couldn't believe I'd just been standing on top of me for an hour. I looked at myself in shock however at the angle of my head and I began to hyperventilate and collapsed to the floor as millions of thoughts went through my head.

"Am I dead?" was a good one that took up the main part of my brain's processing power. "I can't be a ghost can I?" was another one but for some reason "If I'm a ghost then why do I still need to breathe?" took the reins of Mr Brain.

I lay there for a few moments as my breathing calmed and I stood up still keeping all my attention on my form. I was definitely dead. There was no pool of blood or something like in the various detective books I'd read but then that was all fiction and this was reality.

I looked at my hooves and saw the shimmery, blue and white glow I had become. No point in denial at this stage as this was not a dream or a nightmare but reality. I couldn't feel anything not warmth or cold but inside I felt overwhelmingly sad for myself.

"Why me? I worked so hard to be where I am and for what? I never got to meet a mare and settle down and have children. Never got to experience so many things and now I will never be able to experience them."

I put a hoof on my head and was amazed that I wasn't crying but then I supposed you needed a body to do that along with breathing. But that opened up new questions. "If I'm dead then why am I still here? I thought all ponies went to the heavens to be with the spirits of their ancestors when they died."

I never really paid much time to life and death thing like pretty much everypony but it was general knowledge that we all got to ascend to the stars to be with the ones we loved in a kind of paradise when we died.

I didn't really know how to get there but I assumed somepony would show me the way or maybe I'd just start to float upwards until I got there. But since I had been here a while already I supposed it couldn't do any harm to try and get there on my own.

So I looked up at the ceiling of my ex-home and raised myself up on my hind legs and willed that I was with the spirits. I don't know what I expected really. A fanfare from above and a golden light to pick me up or maybe a staircase although it would be a little sick considering how I'd died to use that transportation method.

When nothing happened I decided it didn't work indoors and went outside but when I reached for the doors handle it just slipped through my hoof. I thought I'd missed it and tried it again but this time I saw that I simply passed through the door handle. It was a little bit of a shock and I thought of other ways to get out of my own house but then I was a ghost and I'd already proven that I could simply pass through objects.

However the thought of walking through a door was still silly and very scary. "What happens if I get stuck" I thought so I decided to take a run up to increase my chances. I trotted back and began to gallop towards the door, willing myself to pass through it.

I jumped as I got close and prepared to feel the hard wood hit my cheek and to slide down the door pathetically. However I jumped right through it and landed in a heap on the pathway outside. It didn't even hurt a bonus of being a ghost if there was anything to say about this terrible yet bizarre event.

It was still scary passing through the door but what surprised me was how I saw the insides of the door although only for a split second and not long enough to truly register it all. "I wonder if everypony feels like this when they die." I though morosely.

However I put all these negative thoughts from my mind and once more willed myself to be at peace or something along those lines. Nothing happened at all and in fact crickets began to creek in the background. I jumped to see if that would kick-start the rising process but still nothing happened.

I began to get angry and yelled "What the hay do you want me to do then? If this is heaven's Idea of a joke it's not a very funny one!" I yelled at the stars since it was still night. They didn't reply and kept on twinkling and I began to panic again and got all teary up for real.

I paced back and forwards for a moment as everything began to overwhelm me. "Was something wrong with me? Did I do something really bad so I can't be at peace? Does Heaven even exist?" I began to cry but my tears were not even real just like me. They just evaporated into white air which floated into nothingness. "Was this my destiny? To float into nothingness and just disappear?"

I panicked and ran. I ran faster than ever before through Ponyville crying as I went and searching for something, anything that could be a sign. I went back to where the party had been at Sugercube Corner and I saw darkness everypony having cleaned up and gone to bed long ago and went to bang on the doors.

However I just fell through them which did more to freak me out and make me irate. "Pinkie Pie! Anypony please I need your help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I raced up the stairs. I had no idea where Pinkie lived and once more tried to open the doors but yet again fell through them. There were two older ponies sleeping deeply which must have been Mr and Mrs Cake. They didn't seem to hear me so I back out and ran to Pinkie's room.

I kept looking, breathing fast I fell through the other door where this time Pinkie was sleeping, snoring like a chainsaw with her pet alligator gummy on top of her face. "Pinkie please you have to help me" I began but she just kept snoring on.

"You can't hear me" I said to myself falling backwards in shock as it hit me that ghosts couldn't communicate with the living. I already really knew this but I'd hoped that in some way maybe Pinkie could have heard me. "Please this can't be happening! This isn't right at all. What's happening?!" I yelled and hung my head, beginning to cry pitifully as everything swept me away in a tide of sorrow. "How could I die so stupidly from falling down the stairs after a crazy party?" I thought as I lay there and cried waves of ghostly tears.

I wasn't sure how long I was there for but I never grew tired and so kept on crying until I felt sunlight grace my face and heard Pinkie Pie spring up and cheerfully ask "Good morning Gummy how did ya sleep?" I looked up and saw her holding the little alligator whose eyes simply stared into the distance vacantly.

Pinkie seemed to nod her head as if Gummy was actually speaking to her, one of the reasons why I'd always thought she was a little mad but after a few seconds she cheered and replied "Why that's what I dreamed about as well! Now let's go get some cupcakes!" and with a gigantic bound she had already reached the door and sped downstairs.

I sniffed and got up feeling really low. I supposed that there was something wrong with me but hoped maybe somepony above was going too eventually get round to fixing whatever was wrong as I was not entirely sure how this ghost/heaven thing worked.

I decided there was no point in staying in this room to cry some more and headed out of the store, past Pinkie who was cramming a whole trifle down her mouth and into the streets of Ponyville. A few ponies were up but of course they paid me no heed since they could see or hear me and went about their own lives.

Despite feeling down I couldn't help but feel angry about my current situation and that anger made me begin to think on a solution to my current problem. I had been optimistic in life so why not in death? So I stopped hanging my head in defeat and sat down and began to brainstorm.

Normal Ponies couldn't see or hear me and neither Pinkie who was way not normal. Animals probably didn't see me as even though Gummy always looked slightly out of it he'd have definitely noticed me at some point in the night. I needed to find somepony with immense power, wisdom and knowledge that might be able to help.

So of course it was obvious that I should go and see Princess Celestia. I already had started to think about ticket for the train costs and food when I remembered I'd never need to eat or pay for anything again. I began tearing up again but held off the tears and depression knowing that I wouldn't be able to do anything if they swept me up again.

I set out for the train station but was dismayed to see that the first train to Canterlot was only leaving at one o'clock in the afternoon. I glanced at the station clock and saw it was about six o'clock in the morning which meant I had seven hours to spend.

I really wanted to spring into action right away but I couldn't exactly walk to Canterlot. So I decided to take the bench by the train platform and wait. It took ten minutes before I got so bored I couldn't sit down anymore.

I had much to think about but I didn't want to think about it all. I didn't want to keep crying either so I kept my muzzle up and waited as patiently as possible for the train. An hour ticked by and some ponies came and went. Though these were mostly station workers it was nice to have a sort of company.

However thoughts seeded their way into my brain and I began to think. I knew this was no dream it felt and looked to real and usually my dreams weren't as dark and depressing as death. I thought about some of my friends around Ponyville.

I supposed they would miss me although I didn't know them all too well I still recognised them all. Lyra, Carrot Top, Bon Bon all of them and even the weird ones like Pinkie or the dress maker Rarity. It was overwhelmingly sad but then so was waiting this long for a train.

"I wonder if you burn a book it turns into a ghost book" I grumbled, wishing I had something to read. This would make for a good book. Something snappy like "The Ghost Pony" but I doubted it would overtake the writer of the Daring Doo novels who had dominated the fiction shelves for years with her brand new ideas and very detailed text.

I wondered if the quill and sofa store would miss me. I would have gotten up for work in a few hours with a bit of a hangover had everything gone to plan but then… I sighed and tried to stop thinking. Just staring up at the sky from the platform.

I didn't even know why I was seated I couldn't exactly feel anything but then I suppose it was a habit. I supposed not much text was written about ghost or spirits or whatever I was now but then who would write them and how?

Another hour past filled with thoughts going along that road and many-many long sighs of frustration. Who knew that death would be so boring!? But eventually I began to get excited when ponies started showing up and station boys appeared with carts of luggage.

"Ok this is going to be as easy as ABC. After the train departs I'll just wait it out on an empty carriage, arrive in Canterlot, waltz past the heavily guarded but not ghost-proof doors and then meet Princess Celestia who since she knows everything and can live forever will know what's wrong with me and hopefully fix me." I thought to myself, running through the plan in my head.

I had to admit it sounded fruit loops to me but then I had no real plan and was making this up as I went. I didn't think I'd ever end up in this situation but then who does think they'll end up in this situation? Being a ghost or spirit or whatever. Ignored by ponies and such.

Well I supposed it wasn't on purpose but it still hurt when I saw a few familiar faces and they couldn't see me. Though in reality the real me was lying dead at the foot of his stairs with a very broken neck.

I mean I never had thought about my own death but I expected to be at least a hundred and fifty years old with forty children and a loving wife by my bedside while I looked on at all the achievements I'd ever done.

The only thing I had really done special was to convince the entire of Ponyville to buy a bunch of quills because I'd ordered a few hundred too many but that was not exactly great and mighty.

Everypony suddenly stopped chatting as loud as the train pulled up and hopped on the train in excitement to head off to the big city. I was excited but not exactly bursting with joy since everything I could have once done was now lost to me. No eating, sleeping, partying and even working, which yes I was going to miss.

I wondered if there were others like me. Ghosts that wandered Equestria forever without pleasure or purpose just destined to be bored forever without the luxury of dying of boredom. That would be the opposite of heaven that would be like a bad place where souls would be cursed forever.

"Was this that place?" I thought as I took my seat next to a mother and her tiny foal. "My punishment to walk with ponies of the living forever and to never have a taste of the fruit of life again!?"

The tiny foal began to cry and I sighed in frustration trying not to take out all my rage on the little annoying vomit machine. "Well at least I'll never have any foals now" I muttered to myself and miraculously the baby pony stopped crying.

I looked over out of mild interest and it was staring at me. The mother was just happy that her foal had started crying it's lungs out but the baby actually seemed to look like it was looking at me. I stared into the child's eyes in amazement and was about to reach out to it when suddenly I received I very unpleasant experience.

Like a flash of lighting suddenly my world was enveloped in red and other disgusting liquids which shifted until my head came out the top of another ponies. I hacked and bolted out of the seat wanting to throw up but I realised that I had nothing to throw up and just contented myself with shivering in disgust.

A fat pony dressed in a poorly tailored suit was sitting where I had been and the baby had as a result resumed crying much to the annoyance of the pony who had hay fries for lunch with sunflower and rosemary dip.

"Not cool buddy!" I shouted and suddenly everypony in the car shivered. I took not notice of it. Too annoyed and sat in the aisle, hoping that nopony else would get up for the remainder of this train trip.

I was now very eager to get to Canterlot and solve this damn mystery that was ruining my… afterlife. It was a lot shorter trip than the wait for the train had been and by early afternoon we were in Canterlot the capital of Equestria and the birthplace of my mother and father.

Just thinking about them made me sad but I was glad they weren't alive to see me dead. I just hoped I could join them soon and not waste any more time in the down below.

So when the train pulled into Canterlot station I raced out so as to avoid any ponies getting out and not go through the whole "I can see your organs and what you had for lunch" thing again, which was not a bonus of being a ghost.

I raced out and onto the platform and breathed in that Royal city air. Or at least I imagined I would if I was alive and quickly set off in a gallop. I was surprised ghosts couldn't fly and what was keeping me from sinking through the floor since I sank through everything else but I guess it was ghost logic and out of my understanding.

I had waited for hours but now I was so close and wanted this nightmare to just be over so I kept my pace, not that I could get tired now anyway. I past beauty shops, dress shops, cafes and restaurants all getting more upmarket the closer I got to Canterlot castle.

I stopped however at the grand gatehouse and looked at the guards checking the long line of ponies wanting to get in to have an audience with the Princess. I walked cautiously none the less through the side just to be on the safe side and passed unhindered into the castle.

I took my time now whether out of respect for the Princess or worry for what the future held for me I was not sure. I passed gardens, statues all in heroic and odd poses, gardeners before I finally passed through the main doors without detection from the guards and entered the main body of the castle.

It was really quiet inside. Despite the red carpet the marble ceiling and pillars echoed faraway hoofsteps and voice which sounded very ghostly in my opinion indeed. I trotted slowly through the hallways not sure where I was going but positive it would be easy to find a room such as the throne room.

I passed rich oil paintings, old pony war armour and tapestries on my journeys but after ten entire minutes I finally found the throne room. There were many more guards in here but not many ponies but Celestia and what must have been her assistant with a rather fine moustache and pocket watch which he had checked every second for some reason.

The Princess was writing something and talking lowly to her assistant as I approached rather nervously. "This was a stupid idea." A tiny voice in my head popped up "Nopony has seen you so far so why should Princess Celestia be any different?"

However luckily another voice popped up with a counter argument. "She is an all-powerful almost god like Alicorn Princess why wouldn't she have the power to see you?" which was enough to give me a burst of confidence to strut forward and announce my arrival.

"You Royal Highness Princess Celestia I have come for your much needed aid!" I bellowed trying to sound important and brave and to my shock and absolute delight I heard the Princess give a short and warm reply. "Ah I am glad you've come. I expected your arrival to be sooner."

I could almost cry in happiness and In fact I did falling to stomach and rolling on the floor madly in joyous laughter at being heard. "Celestia will make me better now and then I can be at peace with my family" I thought as fresh tears of joy sprung up now that this nightmare was almost over.

That was when I heard the worst words anypony could ever utter in their lives. "Well of course Princess Celestia, It's been a while but I am glad that I was travelling this way so that I could meet with you" said the voice of somepony who literally walked over me.

"Yes well News of your exploits has reached many ears Przewalski but tell me did you really fight off three owl-bears all by yourself?" The Princess was simply responding to another pony. A scarred and completely stupid pony that I hated with everything left in my soul.

I suddenly got real mad and in frustration hopped up to the throne and proceeds to takes swings at this fellow who really deserved none of this. My hooves passed through him and all that happened was that everypony in the room shivered slightly before continuing to either stand guard with glassy eyes or talk about how they defeated trolls with their hooves tied to a rock sinking into the deep ocean where a kraken was waiting to eat them.

I gave up and sat down on the step leading up to the throne room and sobbed silently. I wasn't feeling like crying my eyes out but I was feeling depressed and defeated. I could think of nothing else that could help me now.

Nopony could see or hear me. I could not make anything move to signal them and if Princess Celestia couldn't hear me then I was doomed. I wanted to go home but then there was only my broken body to welcome me.

I had no home, no job, no friends, no life… I was all alone in the world now. A silent onlooker. Pony heaven didn't exist; there was no paradise after all at least not for me. I continued to get angry at the unfairness of it all.

"Why won't you help me?!" I yelled at Celestia but she kept talking to her friend until her assistant pointed to his watch and they said their goodbyes and left along with most of the guards.

I walked slowly over to the throne room and sat down and began to feel myself dissipating. It was strange as I'd never felt what it was like to dissipate before and It wasn't a great experience but what was? How long could I amuse myself at making funny faces at ponies that'd never respond or watching other ponies experience laughter, love and happiness whilst I looked on from the side-lines?

I saw wisps of smoke leave my skin as I felt myself beginning to turn into nothing. Maybe this is how everypony went. They became spirits and then gave up and truly die not going to any paradise but ceasing to exist.

I felt even the tears begin to disappear as I felt myself almost gone now. I wasn't bothered this was all there was left to do now. I could do no more crying or denying or yelling but just die like I had last night but then something unexpected happened.

I hadn't heard hoofsteps, being more focused on dissipating into nothing and all and didn't notice her until she said rather sternly but still with great compassion "Why are you crying sir?"

I looked up and saw who was speaking.


	2. Friend

**Friend**

It was a young lavender unicorn mare maybe a year or so younger than me with purple and pink streaked hair. Her Cutie mark was a compass like star but I wasn't really paying much attention to anything but her face at the moment.

It was a look of concern that covered it but also an almost military like stern expression which made for a very strange look. I myself had my jaw hanging open and was frozen still. I didn't feel like giving up anymore but I wasn't sure what I felt now though I knew that I certainly felt shocked that somepony could see me.

Just to check I looked behind the throne and back at the mare then at the few guards in the Throne room. "Are you talking to me?" I asked fearing that suddenly somepony would come leaping out from behind the throne and confirm my fear of being alone forever.

She looked at me with an odd expression and asked "Who else is there to talk to sitting on Princess Celestia's throne?" I looked at the throne and quickly hopped off not wanting to offend her and ruin the conversation if you could call it that.

"Look you can hear and see me?" I asked excitedly and not sure if this was a dream although as far as I knew I couldn't fall asleep since I never felt tired. "She didn't seem to have a great first impression of me and asked "Why are you on the Princess's throne? Why haven't the guards taken you down?"

I wasn't really sure what this mare was seeing but to her I obviously looked nothing like a ghost otherwise she would have probably not been talking so casually. I looked over at the guards and although their heads never moved their eyes were fixated on Twilight and probably the empty space she was talking to.

"Look am I glowing white to you? What do I look like?" I asked and she just stared at me. "You want me to describe you? Don't you know what you look like?" she asked sarcastically. "Look do I look like a normal pony to you?" I asked but she seemed to be losing patience and sympathy for me by the second and asked "Look tell me who you are and why you are here or I will call the guards on you." She threatened me.

Normally I would have been hurt but I was just delighted to talk to somepony. So delighted I forgot to even cry. However I also saw that the guards were looking this way fairly suspiciously but some concerned obviously for Twilight and I asked "Do you think we could possibly go talk somewhere more private?"

Twilight slatted her eyes and shook her head sitting down on her haunches and crossing her fore-hooves. "I'm staying right here until I get an explanation" she said fairly determinedly. Although it was nice to have somepony to talk to I couldn't help but notice the guards whispering to themselves.

"Look Miss uh what's your name?" I asked trotting quickly down beside her. She sighed and uncrossed her hooves replying "Twilight Sparkle's my name ok… now tell me who you are and what you are doing here!" she almost yelled bringing more attention to herself.

I put my hoof to my muzzle and begged her to be quiet. "Look you are attracting a lot of attention and oh dear…" I said when I saw a guard stroll over. He was a textbook guard but his expression seemed softer than if he were dealing with an ordinary pony.

"Uh Twilight is uh, everything quite alright over here?" he asked her worriedly. Twilight shook her head and pointed to me explaining "This pony here has done a great job at sneaking past you guys I mean didn't you see him sitting up there?" she asked.

The other guards were looking between themselves a little bit confused and the guard in front of Twilight asked "I'm sorry Twilight but I don't quite understand what you mean" he said trying not to look baffled.

Twilight held her hooves up in disbelief "Are you saying that I am the only pony here that can see this guy" she said trying to prod me on the chest. That of course would never work and her hoof sunk right through me and she unbalanced and almost fell over.

She looked at me confused and then did the predictable thing and screamed really loudly. The guard next to her hopped alert and held Twilight still. "What's the matter Twilight?" he asked worriedly looking for trouble.

Twilight breathed rapidly and exclaimed "Didn't you just see that!" But the guard who had been fairly reserved began to lose his temper a little. "Twilight what are you talking about please tell us!" he demanded as other guards came over to see what the situation was all about.

"He's still here just staring at us all please can't you see him he's right there! My hoof went right through him like he was… a ghost" she shouted finally hitting the nail on the head and getting the right answer.

Twilight began to back away from me and I moved to try and stop her but the other guard was angry at the threat that was seemingly not there and shouted "Twilight there is nothing there! I think you need to go lie down and we will tell the Princess to come see you, you are delusional."

Twilight tried to shake her head but already two guards had took hold of her and had begun to take her away. It was a little awkward for me just standing there and doing nothing but I didn't think I could make the situation any better by making Twilight Sparkle think she was crazy.

The guard staying behind wrinkled his muzzle and looked at where I was and then behind the throne and shook his head. "That girl works too hard" he muttered to himself before he walked on out of the room and out of my sight.

I was silent for a few more moments and so was the room now that Twilight had left and the other guards but I was still very happy. "Maybe Twilight Sparkle can help me" I said to myself and quickly galloped out of the throne room to catch her up, not wanting to lose her in this big castle.

She was easy to find as she was arguing with the guards about me and complaining that the could let her go now. They didn't respond and kept that same typical Stoney expression and stare as they marched her away.

I kept my distance though, not wanting to cause any more trouble and waiting for the right moment to leap in and try and calmly explain my situation to her. Well that was how it went in my mind but since I hadn't parted on great terms with her seeing me again might make her a little bit unhappy to see me again so soon.

They eventually left her alone after they got to a set of stairs and told her to return to her chambers and await the Princess's visit. "Miss Sparkle must be quiet important if she gets private visits from the Princess" I thought as I followed stealthily behind.

She was looking a little skittish as she walked up the stairs alone and would look over her shoulder occasionally. She seemed to be muttering to herself repeatedly and probably trying to tell herself it was all a dream.

She didn't seem to stay on course for long as after just a few minutes walking there was a large flash of purple which enveloped her and then she was gone. I was no Unicorn but I knew that not many ponies knew how to do those sort of spells and if they did it took years of practice.

I'd heard there was a school of gifted Unicorn's in Canterlot but I didn't really know much beyond that. Maybe Miss Sparkle was a student… or a teacher but maybe her magical prowess was why she could see me.

"That can't be it" I told myself. It was obvious that Princess Celestia was the most powerful magical user in all of Equestria so that theory was out. Or maybe Twilight Sparkle was different and had an ancient family gift, which let her see ghosts and maybe even talk to the dead.

But judging by how freaked out she'd been that wasn't true. Well now with no trail to follow I was totally lost and had no idea where I was. I wondered for a bit in search of Twilight or at least somepony else but nopony presented themselves as the corridors began to get unfamiliar and I became lost.

"Well I guess this is why my Cutie mark isn't a compass and a quill" I muttered annoyed at my lack of sense of direction. I chose a random room and passed inside. It seemed like the office of somepony although I didn't stop to scan any documents and instead looked out the window.

There were many towers, courtyards and guards everywhere and I could see the bridge I'd walked over but still had no clue about where I was. I wondered if I should keep searching the corridors when an idea hit me.

I could just reach the ground floor and start over and get a reference point. Normally I'd have to walk but now I could just pass through the window and fall a storey or two to the ground below. For a normal pony it spelled certain death but for a ghost it would be a snap.

But it still freaked me out the idea of even thinking it. I wouldn't even need to jump I just had to walk until I was far enough away and then I could let gravity do the rest of the work for me. So I took a tentative step into the wall and breathed out loud. Then I leapt out and to my surprise felt no air hit against me as I plunged.

The lack of air made me forget all about the ground and suddenly was falling downwards a bit slower than I think a pony was meant to fall but still too fast to see much. Except for the guard that was standing directly below me and whistling.

I prepared for the unpleasant experience of seeing inside of him as I plunged further and further down but as I hit him I didn't pass through him. Then something strange happened and I could feel the slight chill of the air and the heaviness of the armour on my back, the itch on my neck and the feeling of boredom before it all past and I shot outwards from the guard like a cannon.

I landed rough but it didn't hurt but looking back it appeared that the guard wasn't having the most splendid of times. He was looking quite dizzy and without much ceremony he promptly vomited. I cringed and breathed heavy as he stopped and sat down, looking like he was trying to clear his head of a terrible headache.

"Did I just? What? Was I like in his mind?" I asked myself standing up and looking at the now very pale looking guard. I hadn't watched many ghostly movies but what I would have described that as would have been possession.

I forgot about Miss Sparkle for a minute and looked at myself and then the guard who was still shaking his head and recovering from his ordeal. "Maybe I can use his body to talk to the Princess!" I thought excitedly and stepped into the guard to see if I possessed him.

Instead I just went right through him and all he did was shiver. So then I tried jumping on him and once more my body just fell through him like air. I was confused as to why this didn't work again since I was positive that I felt blood running through me and his thoughts in my head and it was the most incredible feeling ever.

It made me slightly jealous that he was experiencing living right now but I had to remember that it wasn't his fault that he was alive and I wasn't. I tried concentrating and then once more stepped into his body but still nothing happened and I became a little down trodden.

"Maybe it only works once?" I asked but then there was no one to answer me so the question was left unanswered. "Sunshine are you ok?" asked a sudden voice coming along the side of the castle. It was another guard but dressed in slightly better armour with a star decoration on it.

Sunshine shook his head and weakly stood to salute. "No Captain Armour sir I suddenly got this feeling of being cold and almost like I couldn't feel anything sir… but I wasn't numb it was… it was like I was dead on my feet sir." He said looking scared and pale.

The Captain held a hoof to his chin for a few moments before walking through me to support the guard. "You certainly look terrible; I'm taking you to the infirmary. Somepony else will cover your shift but you need to be checked out" he said walking in another direction and supporting Sunshine.

I felt a little guilty for being the pony that caused the poor fellow to be sick but then I remembered the feeling of life and if my mouth was still wet it would have watered in want. Then again the other pony felt like death when I had control of his body and that certainly wouldn't be the kind of thing you'd want to experience twice.

I decided to get on with the search for Twilight but it wasn't particularly hard as I saw her walking out of the palace's main doors with none other than Princess Celestia. I hung behind them partly was a little curious at what Miss Sparkle had to do with the Princess and also because I didn't want to freak Twilight out and make another scene with the Princess of the sun watching her this time.

Celestia was very tall I noted now seeing her up close and her mane waved and sparkled quite nicely but there was also an air about her of not just power but also of Royaliness that nopony else quiet had. I stopped admiring Princess Celestia and focused on what she was saying.

"Twilight I understand that you don't want a break but I am telling you that you need one. You work so hard my faithful student and you never get any time for yourself. I've heard that Moon Dancer is having a party later on so why not go spend some time there and get to know some ponies" suggested the Princess, revealing more information about Twilight in a few seconds than the time I had spent with her.

Twilight seemed a little calmer now and shook her head saying "Maybe I am a little tired Princess but I definitely saw a pony in front of me and he definitely saw me as well, he even talked to me! He was not a figment of my imagination!" she said a little crossly.

It seemed that she was still having trouble accepting what she's seen but I was amazed how sure she was. What also amazed me was how casually she spoke with the Princess, without bowing of grovelling or bowing again like I would. Well if I weren't dead.

"Twilight you are an amazing student but you are working too hard so for the next week I order you to take time off" said the Princess smiling warmly. "Twilight was about to argue against this but she sighed and nodded her head. "Yes Princess Celestia" she replied within the sigh and frowned.

"That is good Twilight… now if you can excuse me I must go and prepare my speech for the Summer Sun Celebration, I am already behind schedule as it is" she said turning away from Twilight. Twilight sighed and looked at a book she had with her in a Saddlebag. "I understand Princess; she said trotting away a little saddened.

"Indeed there is more to this mare than meets the eyes" I thought as I stalked followed Twilight. She crossed over a few of the bridges around the little river of the gardens and at first I believed her to be heading outside the castle when she took a turn and stopped by the grassy part next to the bridge and nestled down by a tree.

She levitated the book out of her saddlebag and began flicking through the chapters of the book. I glimpsed at some of the writings from behind the tree I was hiding and it seemed like an ancient lingo.

I guessed along with the fact she was the Personal student of Princess Celestia that she was very smart and probably being trained to be like second in command to Celestia or Mayor of some city like Manehatten in the future.

I wasn't quite sure how to approach this but I decided before she immersed herself in the book she was reading I should start. I stepped out from the tree without any "ta-da" and prepared for the screams of panic and terror.

Nothing happened and looking down I realised Twilight hadn't just immersed herself in the book but lost herself in it. I scratched the back of my neck and coughed quietly. Nothing happened so I did it again and still nothing happened.

I stared ludicrously at this mare and decided to just get the worst part over with. "Miss Sparkle!" I yelled to get her attention. I sure got it as Twilight almost leapt through the air and suddenly I saw a large flash of purple pass through me.

"Wait did she just try to blast me into teeny tiny pieces?" I asked myself. She certainly knew how to handle herself but right now she wasn't doing too well mentally with the whole ghost thing. "What in the name o-of Equestria are you!?" she asked backing up to the tree and looking a little scared.

I held my hoof up and tried to calm her down begging "Please don't scream so loud or you'll make a scene like you did this morning. I'm just an ordinary pony like you that needs help" I said keeping my tone low.

Twilight stopped hyperventilating but her eyes darted all over me. "What are you?" she asked again and I supposed that I may as well tell her if she was to help me. "Well I'm not exactly sure but I think that I'm a ghost" I said a little bitterly in fact.

"More like and evil spirit trying to trick me" she said not exactly helping but I shook my head. "Look my name is Far Gone and I'm just a quill salespony that lives and worked in Ponyville… at least I used to" I said feeling my emotions come over me again.

Twilight seemed to get less jumpy as I got sadder and she asked "What do you mean? What happened?" I didn't really feel like answering that but I supposed she had to know everything to help but still I couldn't stop my voice breaking a little as I explained "I'll tell y-you but a-all of this is really new to me so I have to take it slow."

Twilight nodded and stopped looking like she was about to kill me… again and settled down. I took a pause to get everything together before explaining "Last night I was at a party and well… I think I might have drunken too much and basically I got home and fell down the stairs. I didn't think anything was wrong when I woke up but then I saw my dead body and looked down and I was all sparkly and white." I said fairly amazed that I hadn't started crying yet.

Twilight's eyes softened slightly as I kept up the tale if you could even call it that. "It was shocking and at first I tried to get help but nopony seemed to listen to me and I worked out that I was a g-ghost." I sat down and steadied myself trying to keep talking. "I figured that Princess Celestia could help me so I travelled here. It wasn't easy but I had to do something and it was a plan but I was wrong and so I almost gave up there and then… But then you came along and asked me why I was crying and now here we are" I finished smiling and feeling genuine gratitude for Twilight's timing.

Twilight had remained silent throughout but even her eyes were watery when she said "Oh Far Fire I'm so sorry" sounding genuinely sad for me. It was nice to get some sympathy but at the same time it was a little upsetting and made me feel stupid for losing my life in the first place and having to put Twilight out now by getting her to help me.

I wiped my eyes and smiled. "But hey it's not like it's your fault or anything, so don't you act sad or else I'll just sink into a deeper depression than already." Twilight tried to fix her expression a little but she still seemed sad for me.

"So Twilight Sparkle will you help me to be free of this mortal world?" I asked, not sounding dramatic at all. Twilight looked from her book to me and nodded almost happily, which surprised me but made me glad as she could have just told me no.

"I already began to try and find out something about you since this morning." She said, pointing to a picture in her book that resembled a crudely drawn ghost. "I'm Princess Celestia's personal student and although I thought that evil spirits and ghosts were an old pony-tale I still couldn't deny what my eyes saw."

I was surprised how quick this mare was to learn what she didn't know. "Found anything interesting?" I asked hopefully but she shook her head, smiled and replied "I only started reading five minutes ago." I shrugged "Maybe five minutes was all that you needed?"

She looked at me and chuckled "No I don't think that it's going to be that simple. Ghosts don't even have a section in the Canterlot Library, which isn't a good start. I can check the archives but I still think that it'll be a long search before I find anything."

"Why not just go to Princess Celestia and ask. Maybe she'll know something?" I asked, but Twilight seemed to go into a fit of indecision and leaned her head from one side to the other. "I could try, but I think she would believe me like this morning when I just put my hoof through your body. Also just want to point out how freaky that was" she said a little crossly.

I'd have laughed had I not been having the worst day of my life... Or death (it was all still a bit confusing). "Isn't there a way to convince her I'm real or maybe make her see me?" I asked hopefully but Twilight shook her head. "That's what I'm saying. Maybe if I can study you and keep looking for references in books then something might pop up but until then it would not look very well for me to point you out to everypony."

"Well I'm not exactly going anywhere since you are the only pony that can see me and I can't do anything on my own except watch other ponies live." I said a little glumly. Twilight didn't really notice and smiled "Looking on the bright side this'll be a great opportunity for me to write notes on ghosts for future ponies to understand!" She almost cried in nerdy joy.

"Yay" I said trying to contain my false and very sarcastic enthusiasm. Twilight picked up on this and apologised "I'm sorry this must be very hard for you right now and I'm here laughing like this is all some big joke." I appreciated the sentiment she took towards me but I was still a little depressed. "Yeah well maybe if we can hurry and figure out a way to help me be seen or even better go to pony heaven then that would be best." I said trying to sound optimistic.

Twilight shrugged her shoulders and chuckled "I'm not even convinced there is such a place." I almost leapt out of my ghostly skin and yelled "What!?" Twilight was taken a little aback and pointed out "Well there isn't really any evidence to point towards the existence of that place, no texts or evidence it's just the stories we were all told as fillies and colts and we just accept it like that."

I couldn't believe that Twilight was taking this so lightly and acting like it was no big deal. "So what happens when we die? Please explain that!?" I asked angrily but Twilight already had an answer. "Well that's easy we just die and that's that. No afterlife just darkness."

Twilight had a fair point but I still felt like kicking her in the jaw. "But I… Well how do you explain me then?" I asked and Twilight grinned "That's just it I can't that's why this is an opportunity for not only me but all pony kind to find out what happens after death. Now since it's only reached afternoon why don't you tell me everything you've experienced so far and what you feel right now… assuming you can feel." She said taking out a notepad and quill.

I just stood there staring at Twilight ludicrously. "Well now where the hay do I even start!?"


End file.
